The Ferret Chased the Weasel
by Thestoryweaver10334
Summary: As Head Girl going into her 7th Year, Rose Weasley has a lot on her mind, and frankly, boys shouldn't be one of them. But with the handsome Lorcan Scamander as Head Boy, Scorpius Malfoy driving her crazy, and Albus Potter being the idiot he's always been, there's a lot to think about in the general "boys" category. Rose is just praying she'll survive.
1. Prologue

Quick Author's Note:

Ya know how authors are always like, "Hey, read the Prologue! You won't understand anything otherwise!"

Well...

My Prologue isn't like that. It may give you some insight, but it certainly isn't necessary. Read if ya want. Don't if ya don't.

**Prologue**

The two of them strolled calmly through the park. They were discussing anything and everything, just as they always did. The blonde young man listened to the short young lady attentively, absorbing every word. He never laughed more than when he was with her, and he had a feeling it went both ways.

This walk in the park had become something of a tradition every Friday after work. They never told anyone of their excursions. They couldn't. There was never any need for it anyway. Her boyfriend never asked why she was always busy. He just assumed that she was over-working, like she always did. And the young man's mother never cared where he went anyway. It was a given that they wouldn't tell anyone. The newspaper would have a field day, and their friends and families would be horrified and shocked beyond repair. Even after finally accepting their friendship, it would never be the same.

The young lady wasn't ready for any of that. She didn't know if she'd ever be ready, but the tall young man beside her had already decided it didn't matter. She meant more to him than anyone else. She meant more to him than the hurt, the ridicule, and the humiliation. Her opinion was all that mattered. He loved her, and he still hadn't told her. Time was running out.

He knew she didn't look at her boyfriend the way she was smiling at him now. He knew that he didn't make her laugh like she was laughing now. He knew that in her heart, she knew they were meant to be. It was a palpable force in the air. However, he also knew that she wouldn't make the decision. If her boyfriend asked her to marry him, she would. The simple fact that she didn't know he loved her could ruin everything. She needed to know –before this went on any further.

He had to tell her. It was now or never.

But what would she say? Honestly, he didn't know. His heart was pounding when she laughed at her own joke, and he smiled softly at her.

"What?" She asked at the look on his face.

He shook his head and put his hands in his pockets, "Nothing. I…I was just enjoying the moment." Untrue. Not necessarily false, but untrue.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach as he smiled at her, and she grinned back, "I suppose it is pretty wonderful at the moment, isn't it? What with your promotion and my newly successful case...I feel like flying."

"We should celebrate," He agreed readily. They both worked at the Ministry of Magic, he in the Auror office, and she in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as a detective. They had been assigned many cases together, causing the growth of their friendship.

"Yes!" She clapped her hands once, "I know this muggle gelato place that is simply—"

"Or how about I take you to dinner tomorrow night in Diagon Alley?" He interrupted hastily and mentally crossed his fingers.

She looked at him in shock, and they both stopped walking. "Like..." She gulped nervously, trying to settle her heart rate, "You mean like a date?"

His breath caught, but he looked at her seriously. Now or never... "Exactly like a date."

Before any kind of emotion could catch up with her, her logical side snapped into action, "You know we can't do that."

"Can't?" He frowned, more in confusion than anger, "Or won't?" She looked at him sadly and turned to walk again, but he gripped her elbow gently, "Please."

At his unbearably gentle call, she tugged her arm away and shook her head, "I have a boyfriend."

"Don't feed me that!" He spun her around, careful not to hurt her, "You said so yourself you didn't love him!"

"I do! Just not—"

"Not romantically? Alright. My point remains the same. Please," He looked her straight in the eye, "Don't tell me you don't feel anything."

"Even if I did—"

"Do you?"

"If I did—"

"Do you?" He repeated fiercely. Merlin, he was pathetic. He felt so desperate...His heart would break if she said no. She looked at him for a few agonizing moments before looking away, "I...I think I do."

That simply wasn't good enough. "Think? Sweetheart, it isn't a matter of thinking. I _know_ that I've fallen completely head-over-heels in love with you, and I'm not afraid of it."

She stared at him, and tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she turned away, "We can't."

"Why ever not?"

"Our families—"

"Forget our families," He said softly, but with intensity, "Those that mind don't matter, and those that matter _shouldn't_ mind." He was throwing her own words back at her.

"Stop it!" She looked at him incredulously, "Do you not hear yourself? It simply can't be done. You might be able to give up your life so easily, but I couldn't!"

"And you call yourself a Gryffindor," He hissed as he glared angrily at her. But she saw through him. His whole body had retracted away from her. She had hurt him, and the pain shown smartly in his eyes; she couldn't bear it. Without thought, she flung herself at him in a desperate hug and clung to him like she had never clung to anyone before.

At first, he refused to hug her back, but the slight shake of her shoulders caused him to clutch her tightly, never wanting to let go. They stood like that in silence for Merlin knows how long. Somehow, he knew he would never get to hold her like this again, and he franticly memorized the way every curve of her body melted into his, the way her hair smelled like peach blossoms, the way no one could ever fit this perfectly in his arms.

She finally pulled away slightly to look at his pained expression and brought her hands up to cup his face. She brought their faces closer together, but stopped short and took a quick, shaky breath.

His eyes were half-closed, and his mind was completely blank apart from the gentle curve of her waist he was clutching, the soft touch of her fingertips on his jaw, and her beautiful lips a breath away from his...No. She wouldn't do this to him. She loved him enough to give up what she wanted just to hurt him less than she knew she already had.

"I'm sorry," She breathed and opened her eyes, which she didn't even realize she had closed. After a short, tense moment, she pulled away, and he released her, slightly dazed. He watched in horror as she righted herself and wiped her tears away franticly.

With a smart tug at her wrinkled blouse, she looked up at him, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Good-bye, Malfoy."

He had hardly registered that she had used his last name for the first time in months when he was suddenly alone and staring at her bouncing brunette curls as she ran.

He didn't see her for the rest of the week, but the next Friday, he still waited for two hours at their bench, just in case.

She didn't show.

Any other interaction with her was strictly business, and she continued to avoid meeting him at the park. For months, he waited, but he couldn't wait forever. Bitterly, he moved on and pretended to forget, but what he didn't know was that she was hurting every bit as much as he was. It killed her to move on, but she did, just as he had. And with the scars to match.


	2. Chapter 1: Ferrets and Weasels

**Chapter 1: Ferrets and Weasels**

The bell on the door of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour chimed brightly as the young family marched out into Diagon Alley. The four of them wore large smiles as they diligently licked their ice cream cones. The father held his wife's hand happily, and each of their two children stood on either side. Besides the fact that three of the four had fierce red hair, there was nothing completely out of the ordinary about these cheerful wizards. They looked like something out of a 1950s catalogue. At first glance, they looked almost normal.

But Draco Malfoy knew better. He and his son were seated politely in the company of the Minister for Magic himself, enjoying a nice brunch at a recently opened café. Then, the Minister had to go and sour the mood.

"I say! Isn't that Ron and Hermione Weasley across the street there? And that must be their children beside them. Such a dear family they make, don't you think?"

_Just bloody adorable._ Draco straightened in his chair and gave the Minister a tight smile, "Yes. Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure of speaking to them for quite some time…" Try fifteen years. He had seen them here and there, of course, and certainly every day at the office, but they never spoke. Old habits die hard, he supposed, and their old grudges still held firm. He hurriedly and discreetly changed the subject, and the Minister followed willingly back into conversation of business.

His son, however, a bright young man by the name of Scorpius, watched the ginger family curiously. Of course he had heard of the Weasleys. The infamous Golden Trio were practically celebrities. He watched attentively as Hermione lead her family over to the bench outside of Florish and Blotts', and his eye caught on the young girl standing with her.

That must be Rose Weasley…

His head snapped back to his father and the Minister. His mother forbade him from speaking to them, and the more he looked, the curiouser he became. He understood her order completely. The Weasleys were not known for class and propriety. Quite the opposite. He had witnessed other wealthy families at parties laugh lightly at them, and the line was clear.

The Weasleys were different from him and his family.

"Scorpius? Are you ready to go, son?" His head snapped up to meet his father's kind gaze. "Yes," He nodded politely and followed the Minister and his father out the door.

"Mr. Berignote," Draco smiled at the newly elected Minister, "It has been a pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse us, Scorpius and I have some school supplies to pick up."

The middle-aged man laughed good-naturedly and directed a toothy grin at Scorpius, "Oh! It's off to Hogwarts with you too, eh?"

Scorpius nodded proudly and lifted his chin with a smile. Draco was stuck uncomfortably by how alike he and Scorpius were. Their smiles were nearly identical apart from the tiny dimple on Scorpius' right cheek.

"Well," The Minister shook Draco's hand firmly, "I'll leave you to your business. Have a nice day, Mr. Malfoy."

"Good-day," Draco waved and looked down to Scorpius again, "Well? Where to first, do you think?"

Scorpius lit up immediately, "Florish and Blotts' Bookstore. I'm sure they have my school books ready."

Draco was also sure that his choice had to do with a particular family sitting just outside the bookstore, and he was not keen on getting closer than necessary. Scorpius, on the other hand, wanted nothing more.

"Alright," Draco agreed begrudgingly, "But remember to mind your manners, and do not speak unless spoken to." The undertone was clear. Do not speak to or stare at Hermione Weasley or her family.

"Of course, father," Scorpius conceded to his terms. As they approached the shop, both Malfoys stubbornly refused to look at the small family, almost to the point of rudeness. Almost. A Malfoy was never truly rude. It was only behind the safety of the shop's tinted windows that Scorpius stole a glance at them.

He immediately noticed how happy they seemed to be. His family very rarely showed such raw emotion in public. He had been raised in an environment where image, showing the correct expressions, and guarding your true emotions were vital to social survival. Yet, here was a wizarding family without a care for what people saw in them. Scorpius found it both intriguing and slightly disturbing. What did they have that made them so free?

Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, Scorpius returned his attention back to his father and the sales clerk. Thankfully, Draco didn't seem to notice his brief distraction. Once they had his school books, with glossy covers and unopened pages, and a couple of elegant quills to match, the Malfoys politely thanked the clerk and started back toward the street.

For the rest of the day, Draco carefully avoided interaction with the Weasleys, and it seemed as if they did the same. They took turns going about their back-to-school shopping and managed to go the entire day without being forced to speak to one another. Of course, like all good things, it was not to last.

After a bit of begging, Scorpius was smugly licking an ice-cream cone, shortly after picking out an owl. Draco noticed with a bit of annoyance that Scorpius was skipping. As pleased as he was that he had made his son so happy, was the skipping really necessary? As they walked, Draco suddenly remembered that he has something to settle with the owner of Carllock's Emporium of Magical Obscurities. It had been brought to his attention that illegals were being trafficked there, and the auror part of him wanted to investigate. His eyes briefly flickered to check the location of the Weasleys. They were directly across the street, buying their daughter a wand. It was safe.

"Scorpius," Draco called for his attention, "Why don't you go into Florish and Blott's? I've got to go into Carllock's. Will you be alright?"

Scorpius had the nerve to scoff, earning a small chuckle from his father, "At the bookstore? Father, please. Of course, I'll be alright! There's a new book in the Pomper Rot series that I can look at…Can we buy it when you're done?"

"Do you really want it?"

"Yes!" Scorpius grinned and pumped his fist that wasn't holding his ice cream.

"Then you can have it," Draco laughed, "But remember not to talk to strangers, and do not leave Florish and Blott's. I'll come to get you when I'm done, alright?"

"Yes, Father."

"Behave, now," He briefly patted Scorpius' shoulder and headed toward Carllock's Emporium.

Ecstatic at his newfound liberty, Scorpius sprinted toward the bookstore with a large smile on his face. Remembering his ice cream, he tried licking and running at the same time, not bothering to slow down.

Suddenly, he ran into a blur of orange, and his ice cream went all over his robes. Furious, he glared down at the ginger on the ground. She looked like she was holding back tears, and her face was red with rage.

It was Rose Weasley.

As she started to stand, Scorpius pointed to his robes angrily, "Look what you've done! Now you have to by me a new ice cream! Just wait until my father hears about this!"

"First of all," Rose was visibly shaking in anger, "You ran into me! You should watch where you're going in such a hurry. My mum always told me to be mindful of other people and not to bulldoze through them!"

Scorpius didn't know what "bulldoze" meant, but he thought it was nonsense anyway. "I don't have to listen to your mum. My father's an auror, and he'll have you arrested or something for this."

"First of all, I haven't done anything illegal. Obviously," She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "And my dad's an auror too. So, there!"

"You still owe me an ice cream."

"First of all," She growled back, "You were almost done anyway. Why would I give you a new one when you only lost part of yours? Second, I don't have any money."

"So, you're poor. Is that it?"

He struck a nerve, and he knew it. She scrunched up her nose and replied, "First of all, no, I'm not, thank you very much. I'm a Weasley. We earn an honest living. My grandpa _always_ tells me so. Secondly, you should have been watching where you were going!"

"Oh, I knew you were a Weasley," Scorpius sneered, "I could see that orange hair from a kilometre away!" Originally, he loved that her hair was different. Now, however, all he saw was the ginger who ruined his ice cream and soiled his robes.

That stung. Her hair was _red_ or _auburn_. Never _orange_! "Then why did you run into me, if you could see me a kilometre away? You know what? I'm not entitled to talk to you anymore. You've been abominably rude and insulted me when I have done nothing wrong. You…you _maggot_!"

He was briefly impressed by the way she over-annunciated "abominably", but scowled at her insult.

"What's going on here?" A woman asked from behind Scorpius.

He turned and saw none other than Hermione Weasley. He was standing face-to-face with his idol, and he was standing next to her angry daughter with ice cream drying on his robes. His humiliation was complete.

"She ruined my ice cream!" He pointed at Rose with a pout after getting over his initial embarrassment.

"First of all," Rose crossed her arms, "You ran into me and spilled your own ice cream. And second," she turned to her mother and pouted, "He knocked me to the ground, Mum!"

Hermione sighed and looked between the two of them, quickly piecing the situation together. With a flick of her wand, Rose's hair and clothes returned to their original tidiness, and Scorpius' robed were cleaned. She debated whether or not to scold the Malfoy boy. Would Draco care?

She decided that she didn't care what Draco thought, and to prove it, she frowned at Scorpius, "What are you doing, running with food like that? I expect more from you, Mr. Malfoy. Be careful where you step." Rose grinned smugly, and Hermione caught it. She turned to her daughter, "And you, young lady. If someone is running down the street, you get out of their way, whether they are wrong or right."

"But I didn't see—"

"Rose," Hermione looked at her sternly, "That's enough."

"Scorpius! I thought I told you to…Oh," Draco suddenly came up behind Scorpius and was shocked to see the witches present. "Hermione, I…Hello."

She shot him an incredulous look. After all these years, she got a soft "hello"? Then again, she quickly reasoned, she probably would be at a loss also. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she responded, "Hello, Malfoy," He stiffened when she used his last name, "I was just speaking to your son. He was running with an ice cream cone and caused a bit of a scene."

Rose watched the interaction with interest. She had never seen her mother as flustered as she was at that moment. Hermione Weasley was never at a loss for words in anyone's presence, least of all Mr. Malfoy's. Then again, Rose considered, she had never seen her parents speak to any of the Malfoys at all. They always avoided each other, perhaps for this exact reason.

Rose did find it odd, though, that her mother could show such vulnerability. She never even got that way with Rose's dad.

Scorpius' thoughts were following a similar track when Draco suddenly started laughing. It wasn't a pleasant laugh. It was a short and incredulous, and it startled everyone.

He shook his head, "Caused a bit of a scene? You _would_ accuse my perfectly behaved son of causing a ruckus. He isn't a Weasley, for goodness sakes!"

"Malfoy—"

"That's _Mister_ Malfoy to you," He responded stiffly.

She was briefly taken aback at his rudeness, but then smiled softly, knowingly, "_Mister_ Malfoy, are you alright? You seem a little…off."

She knew him too well; it unsettled him. He felt like he no longer knew her at all. Part of him wanted to stay and talk to her, but the rational part told him that was a terrible idea. He quickly masked his expressions and nodded curtly, "Yes, thank you. I'm sorry for whatever ill my son could have possibly done you. Now, if you'll excuse us…"

"It was really nothing Dra…Mr. Malfoy. More like a childish spat between Rose and Scorpius. Do you really think I was making it about us?" Hermione's face was calm and polite, insisting, but her tone was slightly hurt and angry. Rose was thoroughly confused and had absolutely no idea what her mother was talking about.

"No! It was never about us," Draco frowned at her, old wounds opening sharply, "Not for you, anyway. The ginger at your side is proof of that."

"Do _not_ talk about my daughter that way!"

"It was intended to be a jab at her father."

Hermione and Draco were doing a lovely job of maintaining a polite, albeit tense, air, but he had gone too far in her opinion. Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled with her emotions.

Finally, she snarled through her teeth, "You…you insufferable _ferret_! Come on, Rose. Let's go find your father and brother."

As she stormed away, Rose in tow, Draco realized how much of a git he was being. His chance of reconciliation with her was slipping away… "Granger, wait—"

"That's Mrs. _Weasley_ to you!" She called back, uncaring of the attention she was gathering from passers-by.

Draco ran a hand through his hair for the first time in a long time, and the short action startled and confused his son even more. With a scowl and a quick sigh, he rearranged his features back to their previously polite, indifferent, and sharp state. No need to show the whole world the turmoil inside him. The "Mrs. Weasley" jab had been the equivalent to a punch in the stomach— one he needed to recover from.

"Scorpius," He turned an inquisitive gaze to his son, "Tell me what happened, or so help me, Merlin…What did you _do_?"

Scorpius looked to the ground and mumbled, "I was running with my ice cream and wasn't watching where I was going. I ran into the Weasley girl and knocked her over. But it was an accident! She acted like a downright brat afterwards!"

"I believe you. But let me make one thing perfectly clear, Scorpius. When it comes to the Weasleys, they're nothing but trouble. You'd do well not to get too involved with them. I'm not questioning their character and goodwill," He clarified sternly, "They simply do not have the same standards that we do. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"And don't you forget it," Draco continued as he started walking down the street, talking mainly to himself, "Don't ever let your guard down."

Scorpius didn't understand and didn't know what to say, so he remained silent as he struggled to match his father's brisk pace. As the tension slowly resided, he thought back to the scowl on Rose's face. She really was a plain-looking girl. Her teeth were too big, she had too many freckles, her hair was too frizzy, her nose was too small, and she was decidedly the most insufferable person he had ever spent five minutes with. His father's order seemed perfectly reasonable. Even Mrs. Weasley, a highly accomplished witch, was short-tempered and rude to his father. He decided that he didn't like the Weasleys. Not. At. All.

The pair finally came upon a house-elf guarding several boxes dutifully near a floo station. It had been Draco's idea to have several, Ministry-owned, public "floo stations" that people could use with an extremely small toll. They became very popular very quickly, and the cheap price was irresistible. The Ministry adored the idea and had given Draco a promotion. Now, witches and wizards who struggled with apparition, didn't have a broom, or simply didn't want to walk to a privately owned floo could have an easy solution. It was brilliant.

"Hello, Verney," Draco greeted the elf, "Thank you for your vigilance."

The house-elf simply nodded and asked, "Would you like Verney to take these home, master?"

He grabbed some floo powder and handed some to Scorpius, nodding, "Yes, please do. Ready Scorpius?"

"Father, we forgot to buy my book."

"We'll get it before you're off to school."

"But—"

"Enough. We'll get it another day, alright? Remind me."

"Alright."

"Now, in you go."

Draco watched Scorpius clumsily throw the floo powder and call for Malfoy Manor. Verney disappeared, along with all the school supplies, with a loud crack, and Draco was finally left alone.

He took a deep breath and let it out with a long sigh. Fifteen years since he had last spoken to Hermione. He hadn't even realized how much he missed her…He even slightly missed Potter and the Weasel. The next time he saw them, he wasn't going to ignore them. It was about time he grew up.


	3. Chapter 2: Rose

**Chapter 2: Rose **

_"…She went accordingly to the table where she was in the habit of writing for her aunt, and prepared her materials without knowing what in the world to say. She had read Mrs. Crawford's—"_

"Rose!"

I looked up briefly from my reading and called, "What?" When my mum proceeded to scold my little brother, I rolled my eyes and kept reading.

_"…She had read Mrs. Crawford's note only once; and how to reply to anything so—"_

"Rose!"

Aggravated, I set down my book and walked to the hallway, "What, mother?" I waited while I heard my younger brother, Hugo, whining about something. Satisfied that she probably no longer needed me, I started to walk away when—

"Rose! Come into the kitchen, please!"

"Coming!" I yelled, and then groaned dramatically. I could see my bookmark poking out of my book, taunting me. Book? Mum? Book, or Mum? Book? Mum? Book…

"Rose Weasley! Get down here this instant! It's important!"

Important? That must mean…My eyes widened in excitement. Yes. Definitely going with…Mum. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" I bolted into the hallway and trotted down the stairs. Importance, for Mum, meant either chores, or my Hogwarts letter. I was really praying for the latter, since it was due any day now.

When I burst into the kitchen, the smell of burning hit me like a brick wall. It was so disgusting, breathing through my mouth tasted just as bad as breathing through my nose smelt. Covering my mouth, I choked, "Mum?"

"I'm here," she coughed back, walking into the smoke-filled room with a rag over her mouth and nose.

She didn't usually burn things… "What happened?"

She gave me an exasperated look, "Hugo." Of course it was.

"What did he do?"

She started hurriedly casting deodorant charms as she shook her head, "He tried accio-ing the cake while it was still in the oven, got cake batter all over the inside of the oven, and then tried to clean it with a plastic spoon so he could still try and eat it. When that didn't work, as far as I gathered, he just left it there and didn't bother to turn the oven off! I arrived to take the cake out probably twenty minutes later and was greeted with _this_!"

As much as it hurt to breath, I couldn't help but laugh. This was _such_ a Hugo thing to do! For a Ravenclaw, he could sure be a dunce. To try and accio a cake…wait a moment…

"Wait a moment," I started when I could breathe again, "How could he accio the cake without his wand?"

She sent me a pointed look before opening the window with a snap. It took me longer than it should have to piece it together.

"He didn't," My eyes got wide. He was in for a long lecture and a _lot_ of reversed privileges…

"He did."

I clicked my tongue in amusement. To prevent Hugo from doing under aged magic (as he had often been inclined to do), Mum took to confiscating Hugo's wand over the summer—and he had taken to stealing hers so that it wouldn't show up on his registry. How he managed to crack the system, I hadn't a clue.

I leaned against the counter, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," She sighed, "He's almost fifteen. What is it going to take? I think he spends too much time with your Uncle George…"

I snorted. That was probably true of all of us. To me and my cousins, Uncle George was like a mentor in mischief. He owned a prank shop in Hogsmeade that was simply irresistible.

"That's probably true," I chuckled as she leaned against the sink next to me, "But so do the rest of us. He doesn't still have your wand, does he?"

She shook her head and waved the wand in front of her, "I didn't even notice he took it. He was very sneaky about it."

"Isn't he always?"

"I suppose," She laughed, then suddenly turned to face me, "Oh! I almost forgot! Your Hogwarts letter just arrived. It's in the dining room…"

I didn't wait for her to finish. I bolted into the dining room where my dad was holding a mug and eating some cheese and crackers. The matching mug across from him told me that Mum was probably talking to him before the "Hugo" incident.

With a smile on my face, I watched Dad play with a tan-coloured envelope on the table in front of him. "Rose," He started, "I just want you to know that whether you're Head Girl or not, I am still very proud of you, and I will always love you."

He smirked as I rolled my eyes, "Just give the letter already."

"No, no. I'm not done with my speech..."

"Dad!" I whined, but continued to smile anyway, "Come on, the suspense is killing me!"

He did a quick "wingardium leviosa" and the letter, to my annoyance, floated all the way up to the light fixture. "Go get it," He laughed.

Why was he in such a good mood? I pulled out my wand and smirked as remembrance dawned on his face, "Accio letter." True to my spell, it zipped down to me, landing lightly in my hand...Too lightly. The Head Girl badge couldn't possibly be in it.

"I turned seventeen last year, Dad," I gave him a small smile and eyed the letter warily. I hadn't realized how much I had really wanted to be Head Girl until I felt the utter disappointment I felt at that moment.

"Oh, just open it!" Dad urged.

"Wait!" Mum called as she rushed in, "I want to see!"

I sighed and opened the letter unceremoniously. The moment I cracked the envelope, it flew out of my hands and objects flew out of it: A letter, a planner? A notebook, and...a Head Girl badge! I squealed in excitement and covered my mouth with my hands, unable to keep the smile off my face. There it was. Shiny, sharp, neat...beautiful. I had wanted this since fourth year, when my Uncle Percy went on and on about the privileges of the Heads. This was what I was made for, and it was finally mine!

While my parents fawned over me and expressed their pleasure, I picked up the acceptance letter and began to read it carefully.

"Mum..." I started without looking up from the page, "It says here that the Head Boy and I will be spending a lot of time together. How do I know who the Head Boy is?"

My father's face immediately blanched, and I inwardly chuckled at how obviously his discomfort showed. Mum, on the other hand, just smiled, "Well, I believe that you won't know until the prefect meeting on the train...unless he's a friend of yours, in which case, you'll be able to talk about it."

I briefly went through all the males I was friends with and concluded that it really couldn't be any of them, seeing as they're nearly all fellow Gryffindors...Then again, there was Lorcan Scamander. We weren't very close, but he was an extremely intelligent Ravenclaw and a very likely candidate. I could ask Albus to owl him for me...

"Will you stop looking at me like that?" My mum drew me from my thoughts, "It's not like they'll be sharing a bed. Or a dormitory, for that matter!"

My dad just frowned, "I completely forgot about the Heads always spending time together. They're bloody inseparable. Remember Percy and Penelope? It made me sick! Hermione, you can't tell me this doesn't make you uncomfortable!" My dad always blew things completely out of proportion.

"I trust Rose, and so should you."

"It's not Rose I'm worried about."

I rolled my eyes as my parents continued to bicker like the old married couple that they were. Ignoring them, I proceeded to read the job description of Head Girl. With each added task, I grew more and more excited. Everything was right up my alley.

I would be responsible for leading prefect meetings, coordinating school events and dances, and scheduling hall-patroling duty for the other prefects. The Head Boy and I essentially served as the school presidents, heads of the social committee, and student representatives at faculty meetings. It was going to be the best year of my life!

"What does Malfoy matter? Don't tell me you're scared of him!"

At my mum's mention of the most detestable boy on the planet, my attention was immediately regained. I frowned, "What about Malfoy?"

"Nothing," My mum looked pointedly at my dad.

Dad just scowled and reported, "Your mum heard Mr. Malfoy talking about how his son was sure to be Head Boy. I don't want you getting close to that boy, Rose. He's nothing but trouble."

"Ronald!" Mum looked taken aback, though I really couldn't see why. Scorpius Malfoy was a menace if ever there was one. Troublemaking was his occupation.

"What?" Dad tried to reason with her in the best way that he could, "He is!"

Mum put her hand to her forehead and sighed, "We don't even know that he's Head Boy."

"But he could be! Couldn't he, Rose?" My dad looked at me expectantly.

Absolutely not. He couldn't! He...Actually... Realization crumpled my excitement. As far as I'd seen in all the classes I'd shared with Malfoy, he was intelligent. Exceedingly so. His careless and mischievous attitude was misleading. I almost lost the Arithmancy competition to him in fifth year. Almost.

My eyes widened and my face paled. I looked at my dad and replied, "It's...I mean, it's _possible_..."

"We have to call McGonagall right away," He turned back to mum.

"Ron, really," She pleaded, "It's possible doesn't mean it's true."

"But it's possible!"

My insides churned. I'd rather be a Head with Malfoy than not a Head at all. "Dad, please. Let me put it this way; It's not impossible, but it's not likely."

"Oh really?" He didn't buy it.

"Yes," I struggled for an answer, "He gets into so much trouble," And never gets caught, "Everyone knows he's a menace," Except the teachers, "He doesn't get as good of marks as I do," No one did, "And it just simply isn't likely!"

My dad studied me carefully, looking for any lies, while Mum and I held our breath. He finally sighed, "Alright. I won't write the school, but you be careful, Rose."

"Of course, Dad," I grinned triumphantly, then held my badge up proudly, "Isn't it beautiful?"

"We are so proud of you, love," Mum smiled softly and hugged me tightly.

At that moment, not even the prospect of Malfoy being Head Boy could dampen my spirits. All that mattered was that my dad, who was never openly intimate, enveloped me in a hug and said he was proud of me too. I was perfectly happy.

At last, the day of our return to Hogwarts had come. I wasn't excited so much for my classes as I was for being the new Head Girl. My robes were neatly pressed, my shoes were shined, my curly red hair was brushed, and my Head badge was pinned precisely above my heart.

I was ready.

Unfortunately, we were waiting for my cousins, the Potters, as we nearly always were. My other cousin, Dominique Weasley, and I were sitting lazily on Albus Potter's bed as we watched him finish packing fifteen minutes before our train was scheduled to leave. Even though he was the oldest in our little trio (he had just turned eighteen, while Dominique and I were still seventeen), he was by far the least organized. Typical boy, I suppose.

How he made it through school with decent marks, I'll never know.

"Albus," Dominique groaned, "You are taking _forever_."

He scowled at her, "I'm hurrying! I have a lot to pack!"

"Well, why didn't you do it before Rose woke you up?"

"Because I was sleeping?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of _yesterday_?"

As they were arguing, I was watching Albus' ceiling do absolutely nothing. It was somewhat peaceful...

"I had stuff to do yesterday."

"Like what?"

"The Scamanders came over. I couldn't very well ignore them." That was actually a legitimate excuse, in my opinion. One did not simply ignore the Scamanders. They were like mosquitoes. Pleasant, amusing mosquitoes.

"They probably wouldn't mind if they knew you were packing. Lorcan was probably already packed by then," Dominique snorted in response.

"Which is why _he's_ Head Boy, and I'm not. And frankly, that is absolutely fine by me. Being Head Boy would kill me."

I bolted upright and looked at Albus, who still hadn't put a shirt on, "Hold on a moment! Lorcan's Head Boy?"

He shot me an exasperated look, "Yes?"

"You didn't know?" Dominique tilted her head, "Mr. Scamander told my dad over a week ago."

How come everyone knew but me? It was true that my Uncle Bill, Dominique's dad, was closer to Mr. Scamander than either of my parents, but Mrs. Scamander was pretty close with my mum...We had even taken to calling her "Auntie Luna". Then again, neither shared much about themselves without being prompted first.

I sighed, "I haven't seen Auntie Luna in ages. I couldn't have known unless she told my mum."

"Well, you know Luna," Albus said from his closet, "She probably forgot."

Dominique rolled her eyes, "Auntie Luna doesn't forget. She just probably didn't see the importance in sharing it."

That was true. Every family had a crazy old aunt that everyone loved, but no one really had conversations with, and that was Auntie Luna for us. She wasn't old, but she was arguably the oddest person I'd ever met. She wasn't even blood-related, but she was an old Hogwarts friend of my parents and a war hero. We loved her to death, but speaking to her could get tiresome.

"So, Rose," Dominique suddenly smirked at me, "Lorcan's Head Boy..."

I rolled my eyes to hide my blush, even though her comment was totally predictable. "So?"

"_So_, Head Girl and Head Boy always end up dating. He's fit, mate. Congrats!" She beamed, but I just blushed a deeper shade of pink. So I had a little bit of a crush on Lorcan Scamander, but who wouldn't? He hadn't inherited any of his mother's odd qualities; his quirks were taken completely from his father, and they were endearing at worst. He was charming, sociable, intelligent, and not to mention _fit_. He was arguably one of the cutest boys in school.

He wasn't a "devilish handsome" or "hot", but he was the beater on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, strong, and he had an innocently handsome face. If it weren't for the Potter boys and a couple of other good-looking chaps, he would have the girls at his feet.

Not me, of course. I would never stoop that low, but I wouldn't deny being thrown when he smiled.

"We've been friends since we were toddlers," I tried to laugh at Dominique's enthusiasm, "Dating would be weird." No, it wouldn't.

She rolled her eyes, "No it wouldn't. You aren't even that close anymore."

"I, for one, do not like the idea of Rose dating Lorcan," Albus stated, finally closing his trunk.

Thank you, Albus.

"You don't like the idea of her dating anyone. You're worse than Hugo," Dominique huffed in annoyance, then stared at Albus like he was stupid, "Uh...Al? Are you forgetting something?"

His nose scrunched as he cocked his head in confusion, "Uh...no?"

I chuckled as she smacked her forehead, "Your shirt, Albus!"

At the look on his face, I lost it. I laughed so hard when he turned bright pink and tried to cover his chest with his hands. "You really didn't know this entire time?" I asked incredulously.

He was about to defend himself when his mum, my Aunt Ginny, called, "Albus! You have to the count of ten to get down here before we're leaving without you!"

"Coming, mum!" He called while hurriedly pulling on an old t-shirt.

When we arrived downstairs, the entire Weasley family was waiting impatiently. As usual, Lily (Albus' fifth year sister), Molly (our Uncle Percy's eldest daughter, who was in my year), and I were the only ones dressed in their Hogwarts uniform. The other seven Hogwarts-goers opted for more comfortable clothing. Not that the uniform was uncomfortable. I thought it was nice, actually.

Eyeing little Roxanne, my Uncle George's daughter, ready to go to Hogwarts for the first time, I couldn't help but feel sad that the last of our Weasley generation was leaving the nest, so to speak. Roxanne was the youngest Weasley cousin I had, and she was going to Hogwarts already! As much as I loved having her with us, I didn't want her to grow up so fast. I didn't want any of us to grow up at all.

"Merlin," I frowned sadly at Dominique, "We're seventh years."

Her face lit up, "We are. Don't look so glum, Rosie—" I flinched at the nickname, "—This is going to be the best year of our lives!"

Before I could respond, I was nudged by my dad, "Alright, Head Girl. Into the floo."

"I hate public floos," I heard Lily grumble.

I agreed, but I just nodded to my dad and cried, "King's Cross Station!" And with a puff, I was off.


End file.
